By the end of the month, Electronic Patient Records aims to have implemented a biometrically-accessed health record system in ambulances across the Northern Cape.
The result, says director Roy Alger, is ambulance crew will be able to access vital information through fingerprints in order to assist accident victims, for example.
Should the patient not be in a position to give consent to their medical records being accessed, the ambulance crew will have to make this decision, but they will only be able to retrieve the most critical information, such as allergies and heart condition.
The open source application will be accessible through a Web-based platform enabled by 3G Internet link and will be accessed biometrically, or through a password. The ambulances will be equipped with laptops, says Alger, but these will be securely fastened.
In addition, photographs will enable positive identification of patients, ensuring the correct records are accessed.
Well accepted
The company is in discussions with general practitioners and large hospital groups, such as Netcare, to allow them to deploy the system. "The idea has been well accepted," says Alger, adding this saves time in collecting a patient`s medical history.
Before the system can be implemented, a technical agreement must be reached on the transfer of information, as the international standard is HL7, which the company has adopted as its preferred standard.
About 11 hospitals in the Northern Cape are making use of the system, which allows hospital records to be stored - and retrieved - electronically. The mechanism for consent, says Alger, is a biometric print.
Electronic Patient Records, which has spent about R8 million developing the system, supplies the hosting system to the hospitals. It is supported by targeted advertising, making access free, says Alger.
In addition, patients are able to retrieve their entire medical history and - if they give permission to the attending medical practitioner - all or some of the information can be made available to their doctor.
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